Postgraduate Diploma in Adult Critical Care Nursing

• Develop graduates as competent adult critical care nurses who will deliver evidence-based care and effectively integrating emerging technologies.
• Foster foundational leadership skills & advocacy to effectively manage and coordinate care within a multidisciplinary critical care team, with the goal to ensure optimal health outcomes for critically ill adults and their families.
• Equip graduates with research competencies to critically appraise, generate, and translate research into practice, to improve critical care health outcomes in the UAE and the region.
• Enhance professional development and reflective practice aimed at improving adult critical care outcomes and contribute to national health priorities in the UAE.

• Benchmarked with international standards and accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE.
• Tailored for working professionals with evening and weekend classes.
• Hands-on experience and development of specialist critical care nursing skills through clinical rotations in leading Critical/Intensive Care Units (ICUs) under the guidance of experienced preceptors.
• Emphasis on leadership skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing students to work effectively within healthcare teams.
• Opportunity to develop a basic understanding of research principles related to adult critical care nursing, promoting critical thinking and evidence-based practice.

Regular Admission

Applicants must meet the following criteria for admission into the University’s higher education programs:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited university in the UAE or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution outside the UAE.
• Have a minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its established equivalent.
• Possess a valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse issued by the MOH, DH, or DOH (or provide evidence that the licensure process is underway, which is preferable).
• Demonstrate English language proficiency through one of the following:
  • A letter from the university confirming that English was the medium of instruction during the bachelor’s degree program OR
  • Submission of IELTS or TOEFL scores meeting international standards, if the medium of instruction is in the native language during the bachelor’s degree program
• Have a minimum of one year of clinical experience prior to admission.
• Undergo an interview with the Admissions Committee and the Dean/Program Director as part of the selection process.
• Submit a letter of support from the employer confirming the applicant’s release time to participate effectively in the learning and training components of the graduate program.

Conditional Admission

Applicants who do not fully meet the regular admission requirements may be considered for conditional admission under the following criteria:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited university in the UAE or an equivalent qualification from outside the UAE.
• Have a minimum Cumulative GPA between 2.5 and 2.9 on a 4.0 scale or its established equivalent.
• Possess a valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse from MOH, DH, or DOH, UAE (or provide proof of the ongoing licensure process, which is preferable).
• Demonstrate English language proficiency through one of the following:
  • A letter from the university confirming that English was the medium of instruction during the bachelor’s degree program OR
  • Submission of IELTS or TOEFL scores meeting international standards, if the medium of instruction is in the native language during the bachelor’s degree program
• Have a minimum of one year of clinical experience prior to admission.
• May be admitted for the first semester only, with a maximum course load of nine (9) credit hours. The student must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to progress to the second semester; failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.

Study Plan for Postgraduate Diploma in Adult Critical Care Nursing (PGDACCN)

2026 Spring Admission 

YEAR I- Semester 1

Semester – 2

*For Applied Research Methodology: 1 Research Credit hour is equal to 4 hours

SEMESTER I

CCN 111: Pathophysiological Concepts of Adult Critical Illness

This course introduces pathophysiological concepts essential for understanding adult critical illness. It provides graduate-level nursing students with a comprehensive framework to interpret the complex, multisystem alterations that occur in critically ill patients. Emphasis is placed on the mechanisms of cellular injury, inflammatory responses, and the progression of systemic dysfunction across major organ systems. The course covers pathophysiological concepts across key systems, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematologic, hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, neurological, endocrine, nephrological, oncological, immunologic, and reproductive systems, along with the physiological effects of trauma, burns, and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Through integrated case-based learning, students will develop clinical reasoning skills necessary to recognize early signs of deterioration, understand disease trajectories, and support decision making in high-acuity settings. This course lays the essential background for advanced clinical practice and informed interventions in adult critical care nursing.

CCN 112: Health Assessment of Adult Critical Illness

This course is designed to provide graduate-level nursing students with the necessary knowledge and advanced clinical assessment skills to perform comprehensive and system wise health assessments focusing on advanced technologies and procedures used in managing critically ill patients. Emphasis is placed on assessing patients in critical care settings, interpreting clinical data and utilizing advanced assessment techniques such as obtaining comprehensive and focused health history and performing physical examinations on adult patients with complex conditions across various critical care settings to make informed clinical decisions. The course integrates theoretical knowledge with practical applications to foster proficiency in health assessment of critically ill patients to identify abnormal findings. Evidence based assessment strategies are integrated through out to support clinical decision making and optimize patient outcomes in adult critical care settings.

CCN 113: Adult Critical Care Nursing – Specialty I

This course provides an in-depth exploration of advanced concepts in critical care nursing essential for managing critically ill adults in diverse high-acuity settings. With a focus on holistic, evidence-informed practice, it explores the pathophysiology, assessment, monitoring, and management of complex cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions that critically ill patients face every day. The student will develop advanced competencies in interpreting hemodynamic and respiratory data, managing mechanical ventilation, and applying safe and effective sedation and neuromuscular blockade. Beyond clinical expertise, the course fosters a caring approach that incorporates ethical obligations, legal standards, family-centered care, and patient safety as integral elements. The key content areas such as nutrition support, pain management, infection prevention, and the use of nursing informatics, artificial intelligence are also woven into the learning experience. Through the integration of case-based learning, evidence-based protocols, and interprofessional collaboration, students will develop clinical insight, empathy, and competence required to deliver safe and compassionate care in critical care environments.

CCN 114: Biostatistics for Health Care Providers

This course equips the student with knowledge in the application of descriptive and inferential statistics in biomedical research. The focus will be on numerical computation and interpretation of outcomes from a given data set. This course will help students to develop skills in analyzing and interpreting data from health and allied health settings through classroom demonstrations and ‘hands on’ experience with MS Excel for data management and statistical analysis software such as Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for analysis. This course will focus on communicating complex statistical information.

CCN 115: Adult Critical Care Nursing – Clinical Practicum I

This practicum course provides hands-on clinical experience in managing critically ill adults in high-acuity settings, with emphasis on advanced cardiovascular and pulmonary care. The students will apply evidence-informed practices to interpret hemodynamic and respiratory data, manage mechanical ventilation, and safely administer sedation and neuromuscular blockade. Emphasis is placed on patient safety, ethical and legal standards, and family-centered care. Through direct patient care, students will integrate skills in pain and infection management, nutritional support, and nursing informatics. Case-based reflection, interprofessional collaboration, and supervised clinical decision-making will enhance their ability to deliver compassionate, high-quality care while developing advanced clinical insight and competence in critical care nursing.

Semester -2

CCN 121: Applied Research Methodology

This course provides a comprehensive foundation in research methodology with a focus on both theoretical principles and practical application in nursing and healthcare research. It covers key components of the formulation of research questions, research process, including research approaches, study designs, sampling methods, data collection techniques, and planning for data management and analysis. Emphasis is placed on understanding the ethical and legal aspects of research, including issues related to research fraud, academic misconduct, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. As part of the course, students will work in research teams to collaboratively develop a integrative review group research project, allowing them to apply learned concepts in a real-world context. Opportunities will be provided for active participation in clinical research activities, seminars, and academic presentations.

CCN 122: Adult Critical Care Nursing – Specialty II

This course is designed to advance the knowledge and clinical decision making involved in managing critically ill adults with complex neurological, hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, hematologic, burns, sepsis, trauma-related multisystem complications with an emphasis on an evidence-based approach. The students will analyse advanced diagnostics, prioritize care, and apply contemporary technologies to implement critical care interventions. Additionally, the course includes comprehensive exposure to Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), care for transplant patients, quality assurance programs, and strategic workforce planning in ICUs. It integrates advanced clinical skills with leadership, quality improvement, and professional development competencies required of critical care nurse specialists.

CCN 123: Pharmacotherapy of Adult Critical Care

This course is designed to enable students to have an in-depth understanding of the general principles of pharmacotherapeutics with a focus on drug selection, dosing adjustments, and safety considerations in adult critically ill patients. The course covers system-based pharmacology and emergency drugs administered in critical care settings, pharmacovigilance and aligns with the theoretical knowledge of the standard operating procedures & protocols. Evidence-based guidelines and current trends are integrated to keep abreast with the dynamic health care management of adult critically ill patients.

CCN 124: Adult Critical Care Nursing – Clinical Practicum II

This course is designed to advance the knowledge and clinical decision making involved in managing critically ill adults with complex neurological, hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, hematologic, burns, sepsis, trauma-related multisystem complications with an emphasis on an evidence-based approach. The students will analyze advanced diagnostics, prioritize care, and apply contemporary technologies to implement critical care interventions. Additionally, the course includes comprehensive exposure to Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), care for transplant patients, quality assurance programs, and strategic workforce planning in ICUs. It integrates advanced clinical skills with leadership, quality improvement, and professional development competencies required of critical care nurse specialists.

CCN 125: Organizational Leadership and Management

This course is designed to prepare the students to understand concepts related to organization, interprofessional collaboration, human resources development, strategic planning and managing, information management, quality management, performance appraisal, leadership, staffing, scheduling, and budgeting principles. The course will enable the students to develop the necessary skill and competency to tackle issues in critical care nursing service along with maximizing interdisciplinary team functions and generating productive results. The course will help students to develop the necessary leadership practice roles within the complexities of the health care delivery system in UAE by acquiring a broad knowledge in critical care nursing leadership and management.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Adult Critical Care Nursing (PGDACCN) is a full-time one year (2 Semesters) [24 credit hours] program, awarding a Postgraduate diploma certificate in Adult Critical Care Nursing.

Program Completion Requirements include:

• Successful completion of 24 credits of the program.
• A minimum pass mark of 70% (Grade C) for each course.
• A minimum CGPA of 3.0 out of 4.0.
• Securing a minimum attendance of 80% in graded courses.
• Securing 100% attendance in clinical courses.

Master of Science in Neonatal Critical Care Nursing is a specialized field that addresses the critical care needs of newborns and their families. This specialization opens a variety of career opportunities with a high demand for skilled professionals.

Upon successful completion of the Master of Science in Neonatal Critical Care Nursing program, the graduates can:

• Work as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in hospitals, providing advanced care to critically ill newborns.
• Serve as a neonatal nurse educator, teaching and mentoring nursing students and staff in academic institutions or healthcare facilities.
• Take on leadership roles such as Nurse Manager or Director of Neonatal Services, overseeing the operations of neonatal units and ensuring high standards of care.
• Pursue careers in research, contributing to advancements in neonatal care by conducting and publishing clinical research studies.
• Work as neonatal healthcare consultants, providing expert advice and developing policies and protocols to improve neonatal care practices.
• Function as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) after meeting the country specific licensing requirements.
• Pursue doctorate degree in Neonatal Nursing like DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) or PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) to become a Nurse Administrators, Chief Nursing Officers, Deans or Directors of Nursing programs, or starting their own healthcare enterprises focused on neonatal care.